[PP-F2] Finding Strength <<Breaking the Unbreakable>> - Complete

[Aster 0]

Aster's breath was ragged as she struggled to follow behind the bright-orange fox trotting on ahead of her. Reginald stopped and stared back at his companion as the girl leaned over with her hands against her knees. The trek from the city of Urbus to the summit Husky had informed her about was no easy walk. "Yes, I know," The girl groaned at the fox silently staring back at her. He circled around and continued along their path as Aster struggled to keep up with him.

When they had finally reached their destination, Aster took a few deep breaths to try and steady her pulse. A small hut was visible not far away, and the girl glanced around, looking for the man she had agreed to meet here. She took the time to continue catching her breath and mentally preparing herself for whatever this quest might have in store for her.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Asteria

[Husky 0]

Once she arrived at the destination, Aster could see Husky sitting in front of the dojo. He had arrived for quite some time ahead of her. He didn't want Aster to be the one waiting for him, and would rather to wait for her than the opposite. The orange-haired girl seemed to be a little out of breaths, with her companion fox ahead of her, looking back while patiently waited for its master. Husky smiled, looking at the girl slowly making her way toward the dojo. 

"Hey! You made it. Good job, you're a a step closer to learn the Martial Art skill." Husky cheered, clapping as she made it to the dojo. "Well, you might want to talk to the Master inside the dojo to acquire the quest. I will meet you in the back whenever you're ready." The brunette spoken, before sat up from the wooden floor of the dojo and walked toward the back.

[Aster 0]

Aster's eyes fell upon the brunette man, and she smiled wryly as he congratulated her for arriving. She followed Husky inside, slowing to look for the NPC that would offer her the quest. Surely enough, a old man dressed appropriately for the title of Martial Arts Master was the only other soul in the room. The girl approached him, and in reaction the man turned and immediately surveyed the small girl in front of him. "Hmm..." The old man mused before Aster had a chance to speak. "What, are you here to accept the challenge?" He asked harshly, causing Aster to shrink back slightly in surprise. 

"I, uhm, yes..." The girl started, and beforr she could speak another word the man moved swiftly, hand whipping through the air between them. The man smiled innocently towards her with a nod of approval. "There we are," He gestured to a small hand mirror to show the orange-haired girl the black ink marks across her cheeks. "E-ehh?!" Aster pressed her fingers to her face, feeling the markings that had already dried. Wasting no time, the NPC continued, "Now, if you want any hope of removing those," he pointed to the back of the hut where Husky had already started waiting for her, "you'll need to destroy that boulder." The man waved his hands to shoo her away. Bewildered, Aster stumbled over to where the brunette had been patiently waiting. A pink shade of embarrassment crawled across her face.

[Husky 0]

Husky waited for his friend in the backyard, where the large Boulder is located. His pet, Woofles twiddled around his ankle, nudging and playing with him. He didn't have to waited for long. Moments after he went to the back, he saw Aster walking toward him as well. On her face was two black painted lines, hiding the pink blush of her flustered face. Husky only chuckled slightly, stood up and move forward to her, standing between Aster and the boulder.

"Don't worry about the paint. It will go away after you finished this quest." Husky smiled, comforting his friend, moving forward to the boulder, and put his hand on it. "Well, this is the target you need to destroy. Once you break this, you'll be able to return the quest, and acquire the Martial Art skill. Why don't you give it your first try. I'll help you if you need me to." Husky spoke, standing right next to the rock, waiting for the girl to make her first attack.

[Aster 0]

Aster pressed her lips together, taking a sharp breath in through her nose. 'This is a ridiculous quest...' She thought before swallowing her pride. While Reginald weaved between her ankles and scampered over to greet the wolf pup, Aster's eyes settled on the massive rock when Husky stepped aside.

"Can we really destroy this thing?" The girl mumbled skeptically. Exhaling, Aster took an awkward fighting stance, holding her hands up in weak fists like an inexperienced student. Her expression grew determined as she stared at the hunk of artificial stone standing in front of her. Her shoulders tensed up as she took another breath in, throwing her fist forward--

And making solid contact with the object. The girl froze for a moment as an almost visible shiver started at her knuckles and rippled through the rest of her body. She retracted, holding her hand with the other as the tingling feeling surged through her body. "Nngh..." A small sound like a whimper escaped her. While not reducing her health, it seemed like her 'attack' caused Aster more damage than her target.

Combat Details:

  Hide contents

Opponent:

• Boulder
  • HP: 50

Turn Order:

• Aster
• Husky

Combat Roll:

• ID#: 58984
  • BD: 1 Critical Fail
  • CD: 11
  • LD: 9
  • MD: 6

Combat Results:

• Aster:
  • HP: 24/24
  • Energy: 6/6 -> 4/6
    • Miss!
• Husky:
  • HP: ??/??
  • Energy: ??/??
• Boulder:
  • HP: 50/50

Edited May 14, 2016 by Asteria

[Husky 0]

"It's not really impossible, but only very tedious. But hey, I'm here with you for a reason." The brunette chuckled slightly, looking over to Aster taking her pose and ready for the first attack. Her first punch didn't connect really well with the boulder, as he could see the punch missing the center by a little. Seeing the girl retracted her hand, Husky knew something wasn't right, until he saw her retracted from the boulder, holding her hand while groaning in pain. "Ouch, that have got to sting. Maybe I should help her out." Husky winced, looking at his friend struggling with breaking the rock. He took a few step forward, placing his hand over her shoulder, asking in a voice of slight concern. "Are you all right? I know it's going to hurt for a while, but trust me, if your punches connect, you won't feel a thing." 

He moved forward, posing his fighting stance. "Alright, I'll show you how to improve your attacking stance. There are few things you might wanted to adjust. First is that your arm was a little too low. You should have your hands and arms parallel with your head, creating a more firm grip on your palm. Second, legs should be separated just enough so that you have a more stern position, one leg back, one leg forth, depends on what  makes you feel comfort." Husky instructed, striking the fighting pose as a model for Aster. He continued. "Next, focus on your target. Since you haven't acquire the skill just yet, you need to be precise on where you threw your punches. When going in, step your leg forward and just threw the punch forward with your force put on your shoulder and bicep, pushing the punch forward while keeping your wrist firm and steady, fist clench. I'll demonstrate this one without the sword art." Husky said, as he step forward. His body turned to the right as he threw the first punch square into the middle of the rock. The hit connected, as the boulder's health bar dropped slightly. "Now you give it a try again." The warrior stood aside, letting his friend recollect herself, and reattempt on her first punch.

________________________

ID: 58958

BD: 7+1 (Pet) = 8 

Aster: 24/24 HP | 4/6 EN | 1 DMG
Husky: 40/40 HP | 9/10 EN | 5 DMG

VS

Boulder: 45/50 HP | 0 DMG | 0 MIT ( -5 HP)

Edited May 14, 2016 by Husky

[Aster 0]

Aster stopped favoring her hand and observed quietly as Husky instructed her, demonstrating a proper stance and form. The girl perked up slightly from her miserable first attack. Her eyes watching the man carefully, as if she were memorizing everything he said. The reaction was distantly familiar to her--this was the first time she felt like she was truly learning something since she'd entered Aincrad, and the girl was immediately drawn in.

She shifted her pose, trying to mimic Husky's stance. She took in deep, calculated breaths, watching intently as the brunette swung his fist forward, striking the boulder with impressive accuracy. Concentrating on her own movements, Aster gave a small nod, pulling back slightly before releasing another punch. Her fist came across her body just too far; she skimmed the side of her hand along the rough surface, wincing slightly as her second attack also failed to do any damage.

Combat Details:

  Hide contents

Opponent:

• Boulder
  • HP: 50

Turn Order:

• Aster
• Husky

Combat Roll:

• ID#: 58984
  • BD: 2 Fail
  • CD: 8
  • LD: 19
  • MD: 10

Combat Results:

• Aster:
  • HP: 24/24
  • Energy: 4/6 -> 5/6 -> 3/6
    • Miss!
• Husky:
  • HP: 40/40
  • Energy: 9/10
• Boulder:
  • HP: 45/50

Edited May 14, 2016 by Asteria

[Husky 0]

"Not bad, you're a fast learner. Try and focus to the center of the rock, shift your body weight lightly forward, turning your body with each swing, not too hard, and also try to direct yourself with the leg in the back, while using the front leg as the base, firm and steady." Husky smiled, continued guiding Aster with her fighting technique. He stepped forward, once again took his fighting stance, step forward and threw his fist toward the rock. The warrior shined his right leglifted up slightly, his toes still connected to the ground, as Husky shifted, leaning forward, extended his arm and thruster it toward the direction of the Boulder with all his strength. The hit connected to the middle of the rock once again, taking a little health off from the large Boulder's Health bar. "Alright, now you try it." Husky stepped aside, leaving Adter with her free space for her to do her work.

______________________

ID: 58999

BD: 10

24/24 HP | 4/6 EN | 1 DMG
Husky: 40/40 HP | 9/10 EN | 5 DMG

VS

Boulder: 38/50 HP | 0 DMG | 0 MIT ( -7 HP)

Edited May 14, 2016 by Husky

[Aster 0]

Aster frowned slightly, taking a moment to relax her stance. Her tense shoulders loosened, and she concentrated on her target, going through the motions in her mind. Closing her eyes, she calmed herself, not letting her previous failures influence her. Opening her eyes again, she stared straight at the center of her 'opponent'. Her body moved more fluidly than at first, as she began to get comfortable with attacking.

This time, her follow-through was solid and she landed a direct hit. She didn't feel any tingling pain from failure like before, and as Aster glanced up at the health bar looming over the rock she saw it tick down just slightly. "Ah!" She let out a small gasp of excitement, grinning in satisfaction.

Combat Details:

  Hide contents

Opponent:

• Boulder
  • HP: 50

Turn Order:

• Aster
• Husky

Combat Roll:

• ID#: 59000
  • BD: 8 Success
  • CD: 7
  • LD: 13
  • MD: 4

Combat Results:

• Aster:
  • HP: 24/24
  • Energy: 3/6 -> 4/6 -> 3/6
    • Hit! Basic Attack:
    • (1 Base) = 1 DMG
• Husky:
  • HP: 40/40
  • Energy: 8/10
• Boulder:
  • HP: 38/50 -> 37/50

Edited May 14, 2016 by Asteria

[Husky 0]

OOC: Accidentally double rolled due to lag, I will use the first roll, which is the best roll as well c:

Husky grew a smile of content. He was glad to know that Aster was such a good  and fast learner. With only a few punch she was able to successfully landed the first hit with such precision. "Good job, Aster. Keeping up this pace and we'll get the quest done in no time. Now, if you would excused me...." Husky congratulated Aster, clapping his hand as he cheered for her first successful punch. Most people would have hesitated, or flinched and retracted, slowing down there momentum. Aster however, was brave enough to took the risk and straight on punched the rock with all her power. That was something that not everyone have, and only people with remarkable courage could pull off.

The warrior then took stance, this time activating the <<Delayed Sword>> Sword Art, lunging forward. A round house kick followed by a heavy punch to the side of the boulder, Husky managed to knocked the boulder's health bar down significantly, as the stone surface crackled. "That should helped her out a little." Husky nodded, stood back a few step and let the girl continued with her training.

__________________________

ID: 59051

BD: 10

Aster: 24/24 HP | 3/6 EN | 1 DMG
Husky: 40/40 HP | 6/10 EN | 5 DMG

VS

Boulder: 9/50 HP | 0 DMG | 0 MIT ( -( 7 *Delayed Sword: 4x1) = -28 HP)

Edited May 15, 2016 by Husky

[Aster 0]

A small smile remained on Aster's face with Husky's compliments. She was about to take the stance again as the man readied his own attack. When he activated the sword art, striking the target for over half of it's health in a quick two-part move. The girl watched awe-struck, nudging her glasses up nervously when stepped back to let her take over. 'I certainly couldn't imitate that...' She thought with a small inward sigh.

Nevertheless, Aster took up her fighting stance again, breathing deeply as she readied herself. She held her hands up, leaning backwards slightly before moving into the punch. Her footing was off, and as a result the girl slipped with her momentum, falling forward and crashing head-first into the boulder.

"Oww..." The girl sat on her knees, gingerly rubbing her forehead as another light pink hue touched her cheeks.

Combat Details:

  Hide contents

Opponent:

• Boulder
  • HP: 50

Turn Order:

• Aster
• Husky

Combat Roll:

• ID#: 59053
  • BD: 1 Critical Fail
  • CD: 10
  • LD: 19
  • MD: 9

Combat Results:

• Aster:
  • HP: 24/24
  • Energy: 3/6 -> 4/6 -> 2/6
    • Miss!
• Husky:
  • HP: 40/40
  • Energy: 6/10
• Boulder:
  • HP: 9/50

Edited May 15, 2016 by Asteria

[Husky 0]

Husky didn't expected what would happened next. Seeing the girl fumbled over her legs and cracked her head onto the boulder, Husky winced, looking at Aster painfully. Woolfes was startled by Aster, quickly sprang on his foot and sprint toward Husky, hiding behind his leg. Husky didn't hesitate a second seeing Aster fell down and bang her head onto the rock surface. He ran forward and catch Aster while she's falling. 

"Hey there... are you all right? Take it easy on yourself, OK? Don't push too hard, and just take your time." Husky spoke, his voice mixed with concern. The warrior gently pulled her hair clear from her forehead, and checked for any injury. He was glad that everything here was just still a game, and you couldn't possibly bleed from anything, but pain was a different story. "Well, it's lucky of you that you can't get seriously hurt or injured in this game, but still, be careful, alright?" He asked, slowly stood up. He opened his inventory, and unequipped his gauntlet. Husky then sent a trading request to Aster, and give her his gauntlets. "Here, take this. The gauntlet should automatically resized to your preferable size so that it'd fit you. The weight of the gauntlets won't weight you down much, but a few extra damages can make the work much more faster." Husky smiled, insisted Aster to accept the trade. 

____________________________

[ -Twin Fang]

[Aster 0]

 Aster winced slightly. The tingling feeling spread from her forehead throughout the rest of her body, and while not the same as real pain, was disorienting. The girl rubbed at her forehead one more time, mumbling under her breath in response to Husky's words, "Still, they could have made it less uncomfortable..."

As Woofles dashed off behind his master, Reginald simply lay on his side and observed the situation, staring unsympathetically at his companion. She sighed lightly to stop herself from further complaining, but blinked in slight surprise as the trade request window appeared in front of her. Hesitantly, Aster pressed accept, and the new piece of equipment appeared over her hands. 'They're bulky.' She immediately thought, but didn't dare voice her opinion, especially considering she should be grateful for all the help he'd given her.

Standing back up once more, the girl drew in a quick breath, taking up a similar stance. The gauntlets felt odd on her hands, but she supposed they were better than the massive spear she carried around in her inventory. Throwing another quick swing, she extra weight of her fist caused the attack to drop slightly, grazing the edge of the target instead.

Trade Confirmed:

Spoiler

• +1 Twin Fang - Borrowing from Husky (+2 Unarmed DMG)

Combat Details:

  Hide contents

Opponent:

• Boulder
  • HP: 50

Turn Order:

• Aster
• Husky

Combat Roll:

• ID#: 59053
  • BD: 3 - Fail
  • CD: 12
  • LD: 9
  • MD: 10

Combat Results:

• Aster:
  • HP: 24/24
  • Energy: 2/6 -> 3/6 -> 1/6
    • Miss!
• Husky:
  • HP: 40/40
  • Energy: 7/10
• Boulder:
  • HP: 9/50

Edited May 15, 2016 by Asteria

[Husky 0]

Husky could see that Aster was struggling with the extra weight of the gauntlet on her hand. As much as Husky wanted to help, he also wanted Aster to do it on her own. Beside, if he continued to help her like he did, he'll be the one who do all the work for her. Reluctantly, Husky sat still in one place. Woofles laid next to him; he settled down and slowly falling asleep, resting his head over his own legs. 

"Aster. Just remember to keep your hands steady. Try again, aiming straight forward." Husky sat aside, directed Aster and guide her through. This time, he wanted her to do the work. Cheering and encouraging her, Husky waited for the girl, seeing if the gauntlet truly help her, or causing more troubles.

[Aster 0]

The last strike had thrown her off balance, but at the same time it gave her a feel for the new weapons she wielded. She uncurled her fingers a few times, loosening herself up again to prevent any mistakes from her being too tense. She kept her eye on her target and took the same stance yet again. When her arm moved forward, she would need to aim higher, to compensate for the weight she was not used to carrying with her punches.

Her mind briefly went over all the factors. She tried thinking of the situation as a big geometry problem--after all, the whole game was just numbers and data, right? With her new figures in mind, she made the slight changes to her body, the way she followed through on the attack, and was rewarded with a critical strike to bring the boulder's health bar dangerously low. She smirked in satisfaction, "Just a little bit more..."

Combat Details:

  Hide contents

Opponent:

• Boulder
  • HP: 50

Turn Order:

• Aster
• Husky

Combat Roll:

• ID#: 59130
  • BD: 9 - Critical Success
  • CD: 1
  • LD: 19
  • MD: 5

Combat Results:

• Aster:
  • HP: 24/24
  • Energy: 1/6 -> 2/6 -> 1/6
    • Hit! Basic Attack:
      • (1 Base) + (1 Critical) +(2 Equipment) = 4 DMG
• Husky:
  • HP: 40/40
  • Energy: 8/10
• Boulder:
  • HP: 9/50 -> 5/50

Edited May 15, 2016 by Asteria

[Husky 0]

Husky was glad that Aster could quickly adjust herself with the weight of the gauntlet he lend her. Just a few more punches and the boulder should be knocked down. Sitting back, Husky tried and occupied himself with things while waiting for his friend to finish up her training. The warrior gently petting Woofles, scratching the side of his body. Woofles rolled over, began to play with Husky. Being the wolf he always was, he quickly snapped his jaws onto Husky's hand and nibbled on the fingers. Startled by the bite, Husky quickly withdrew his hand. Decided to let Woofles be for the time being, he watched as the little wolf went back to sleep. Sitting back while Aster was training, he had to admit. Sitting like this does gave him a pretty nice view. The sky was blue and clear of clouds today. 

 

[Aster 0]

Aster continued the same rinse and repeat, trying not to get frustrated when her next attack missed again. She would simply ignore it, ready herself, and try again until she got the hang of it. She assumed the concept could easily be picked up as muscle memory, to a point.

Meanwhile, as if growing bored with his companion's task, Reginald stood and walked over to the man and his own familiar. The fox tilted its head at the wolf, who seemed to be content with a nap. Not wanting to incite a snap of the pup's jaws--accidental or not--the fox seemed content to sit beside the both of them.

Combat Details:

  Hide contents

Opponent:

• Boulder
  • HP: 50

Turn Order:

• Aster
• Husky

Combat Roll:

• ID#: 59208
  • BD: 2 - Fail
  • CD: 12
  • LD: 18
  • MD: 9

Combat Results:

• Aster:
  • HP: 24/24
  • Energy: 1/6 -> 2/6 -> 0/6
    • Miss!
• Husky:
  • HP: 40/40
  • Energy: 10/10
• Boulder:
  • HP: 5/50

Edited May 17, 2016 by Asteria

[Husky 0]

While gazing toward the sky, Husky felt as if he was being watched by something. He looked down to see Aster's pet sitting near from him, watching him and Woofles with content. Husky never know the pet's name, since Aster haven't refer her pet with his name around him. Instead of supervising Aster and her training, Husky was now distracted by the golden orange fox. He extended his hand forward and tried to pet Reginald. Husky hoped that Aster's fox won't be much of a chomper like Woofles. 

"Hey there little buddy." Husky spoke in a gentle quiet voice. He let his hand glide along the fox's fur, from the head down to the body. All the while, the brunette kept his guard somewhat alert, just in case of Reginald biting him back.

[Aster 0]

As if in a rhythm, Aster continued her assault on the boulder. Her effort got her closer, though she still missed her mark. The gradual signs of improvement began showing, as the girl's stance and movements were already more comfortable and fluid than her first attempts.

Meanwhile, Reginald watched Husky with mild interest as the man acknowledged him. When he reached his hand out toward him, the fox simply responded by sniffing at it shortly before nudging his head against it, a reaction more suitable to a cat than a fox. Seemingly content, Reginald circled and lay down at Husky's feet, exchanging glances between Aster and the wolf pup beside him.

Combat Details:

  Hide contents

Opponent:

• Boulder
  • HP: 50

Turn Order:

• Aster
• Husky

Combat Roll:

• ID#: 59252
  • BD: 5 - Fail
  • CD: 4
  • LD: 10
  • MD: 8

Combat Results:

• Aster:
  • HP: 24/24
  • Energy: 0/6 -> 1/6 -> 0/6
    • Miss!
• Husky:
  • HP: 40/40
  • Energy: 10/10
• Boulder:
  • HP: 5/50

Edited May 18, 2016 by Asteria

[Husky 0]

While waiting for Aster to finish up her training, Husky now have his attention on the little fox companion of hers. He seemed to be much more friendly than his little wolf, letting a stranger like Husky petting him. Husky played with the fox for a while. Giving it a belly rub, stroking the fur along his body, scratching the fox's chin, Husky felt content petting something without being bitten. 

After a while, Husky leave the Fox, got up and stretch. He could see that Aster was in a little struggle with the new gauntlet he gave her. Starting to rethink of his decision of giving her his weapon, Husky decided to help the girl out a little. He walked up to the boulder, and wound up his hand. The brunette threw his hand forward, aiming toward the small crack on the rock. His fist connected with the crack, taking down the health bar of the boulder.

__________________________

ID: 59386

BD: 6+1=7

Aster: 24/24 HP | 0/6 EN | 1 DMG
Husky: 40/40 HP | 9/10 EN | 5 DMG

VS

Boulder: 2/50 HP | 0 DMG | 0 MIT ( -3 DMG)

Edited May 21, 2016 by Husky